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[zzedar]

Is there any way to launch a dwarf through the air in a controlled direction? The only way I was able to think of is to use a random-direction launcher (raising a bridge) and some walls around it to ricochet him in the direction I want; however, I'm not sure if dwarves ricochet like that, and anyway I'd have to build separate launchers for each direction. Does anyone know of a better way?

[Jacob/Lee]

Your "ricochet" would be a dwarf blowing into a billion tiny pieces. He would technically collide with the "barrel" of the launcher and get killed.

[Sphalerite]

Your "ricochet" would be a dwarf blowing into a billion tiny pieces. He would technically collide with the "barrel" of the launcher and get killed.

No, he wouldn't.  At least not when thrown by a bridge.  Creatures thrown by bridges don't suffer any harm from being flung or from hitting anything after being flung.  They may suffer damage from falling afterward, of course, if the fling ends with them being in mid-air.

The problem with bridges, of course, is that they fling in a completely random direction and distance, so they're not very useful for throwing a dwarf in a controlled direction.  Thrown objects and creatures don't ricochet when they hit an obstacle, they simply stop and then fall if in mid-air.  You could surround a raising or retracting bridge with walls except on just one side, but most creatures flung by the bridge would just hit a wall and stop without going anywhere.

The only other way I know of to throw a creature through the air is through combat, but that's not very repeatable and is usually fatal for the creature.

[zzedar]

Okay, I've done some tests and it seems that bridge launchers aren't quite random -- they seem to be weighted to be more likely to throw objects in the direction that the bridge raises. (My sample size is fairly small, so it's possible that I'm wrong -- more tests are needed.)

[celem]

fire a dwarf out of the 'barrel' of a pressurized water gun

[Sphalerite]

Okay, I've done some tests and it seems that bridge launchers aren't quite random -- they seem to be weighted to be more likely to throw objects in the direction that the bridge raises. (My sample size is fairly small, so it's possible that I'm wrong -- more tests are needed.)

Do more tests.  Previous extensive research showed it to be completely random in 40d, so if it's not random anymore this needs to be documented.

Also, keep in mind that while objects can be thrown up to higher Z-levels by a bridge, creatures stay on their own Z-level.  Raising drawbridges become a wall when they raise, and that wall will block a creature from traveling in the direction which the bridge is raising.

[zzedar]

Also, keep in mind that while objects can be thrown up to higher Z-levels by a bridge, creatures stay on their own Z-level.  Raising drawbridges become a wall when they raise, and that wall will block a creature from traveling in the direction which the bridge is raising.

Ah, that's what was happening -- they were blocked from traveling in that direction, which made it appear that they were weighted to travel in the opposite direction. My mistake.

[zzedar]

fire a dwarf out of the 'barrel' of a pressurized water gun

I'm pretty sure water pressure only affects other water.

[Sphalerite]

Flowing water can push creatures, but it won't throw them.  There's no momentum from that kind of movement.

Remember, physics in Dwarf Fortress is not newtonian.  Dwarf Fortress works with a pre-newtonian physics model.  In DF, objects and creatures fall straight down, unless they have the 'projectile' status.  Creatures and objects with the 'projectile' status move in a straight line until they run out of momentum, then they stop moving and lose their 'projectile' status.  (Sometimes creatures stop moving but don't lose their 'projectile' status, in which case they are stuck floating in midair forever).  As far as I can tell, the only things that can give a creature the 'projectile' status are being flung by bridges, being hurled in combat, or being caught in a cave-in.  The latter two cases are generally fatal.  Being flung by a bridge is not by itself harmful, but is random and not very useful.